Cleaning apparatus



Sept. 6, 1955 G. BRENFLECK CLEANING APPARATUS 2A m d y M M r a m m M. 2 5 PU. W 4 4 0404044444 n H 0 0N0N0000N0w0u l Filed Jan. 24, 1955 nited States Patent CLEANING APPARATUS Gene Brenfleck, St. Louis, Mo. Application January 24, 1955, Serial No. 483,611 4 Claims. (Cl. 134-182) This invention relates to a fluid motor and agitator adapted to be mounted in a container for cleaning articles with an agitated liquid, and more particularly, to a cleaning apparatus which filling station and garage men can use for quickly, thoroughly, and safely cleaning automotive parts with a highly volatile cleaning solvent or fluid.

At present, automotive repair men clean automotive parts such as carburetor parts, fuel pumps, gears, piston rings, valves, air filters, etc. in various ways, including hand rubbing them with gasoline, coal oil, kerosene or other cleaning fluids. Various washers with agitators therein have been designed, but are powered with relatively expensive electric motors or with hydraulic motors which require large quantities of water and water tight hose connections. These motors have been mounted beneath the container with their rotatable shafts eX- tending centrally and axially upwardly through the bottom of the cleaning container. This arrangement requires a relatively large space or volume for the agitator, a gasket or seal to prevent the leakage of cleaning fluid through the bottom, and results in accumulation of foreign matter on the agitator itself. ln devices Where the agitator has been driven by an air motor, the air has been expelled into the cleaning chamber or mixed with the gasoline or other cleaning fluid therein, thereby causing excessive evaporation and producing dangerous conditions for the operator because of the fumes and highly inflammable vapors.

One of the principal objects of the present invention is to provide a relatively simple fluid motor and agitator which can be secured to a cleaning container for agitating a cleaning fluid therein and directing said fluid against and around articles to be cleaned,

Another object is to provide an air motor in a cleaning container wherein the air is expelled immediately from the air motor and is not permitted to enter the cleaning chamber or to contact or mix with the cleaning fluid therein.

Another object is to provide a relatively small fluid motor and agitator which is simple and inexpensive to make and which can be easily attached to a cylindrical drum of the type which is normally found in a filling station or garage.

Still another object is to provide a fluid motor and agitator which has only a few simple parts and occupies only a small part of the entire volume and cross sectional area of the cleaning container to which it is attached,

Another object is to provide a tubular agitator having a deflector which directs the agitated cleaning fluid against the parts to be cleaned and into a basket or parts holding member which also deflects and directs the agitated liquid over and through said parts. Another object is to position the agitator so that foreign matter will not accumulate thereon.

These and other objects and advantages will become apparent hereinafter.

2,7 l 6,99 l Patented Sept. 6, 1955 The present invention is embodied in a fluid motor and agitator adapted to be mounted along the wall of a container for agitating cleaning fluid therein without allowing the cleaning fluid and propelling fluid to mix. The invention is also embodied in the cleaning apparatus including said fluid motor and agitator, a container, and a parts carrying means positioned therein.

The invention also consists in the parts and in the arrangements and combinations of parts hereinafter described and claimed. In the accompanying drawings which form part of this specification and wherein like numerals and like symbols refer to like parts wherever they occur:

Fig. 1 is an exterior perspective view of the cleaning container with its cylindrical wall broken to show a side view of the fluid motor and agitator,

Fig. 2 is a horizontal cross-sectional view of the device taken along the line 2 2 of Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the parts carrying basket,

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the fluid motor and agitator assembly,

Fig. 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along the line 5 5 of Fig. 1,

Fig. 6 is a vertical cross sectional view of the fluid r motor and agitator assembly taken along the lines 6-6 of Fig. 4, and

Fig. 7 is a horizontal cross sectional View taken along the line 7-7 of Fig. 6.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, it will be seen that the embodiment of. the invention which has been illustrated comprises a fluid motor and agitator assembly A fixedly secured to the upper portion of a cleaning container C having a parts carrying basket B removably positioned therein.

The cleaning container C is leakproof and comprises a circular bottom member 1 with an upstanding cylindrical shell or wall 2 having a cover 3 hingedly or removably secured thereto. A handle 4 is provided for removing or opening said cover 3 and for sealably closing said cover 3 on the cleaning container C so that no cleaning fluid can escape therefrom. The cleaning container C is also provided with carrying handles 5 mounted on opposite sides thereof.

A fluid motor and agitator assembly A is secured to the upper inner portion of the wall 2 of the cleaning container C, preferably between said handles 5, by means of bolts 6 with a gasket or seal 7 therebetween and washers 8. An air intake tube 9 having a control valve 10 therein extends outwardly from the container C opposite to the upper portion of the fluid motor and agitator assembly A. The container C is provided with an air exhaust port 11 adjacent to said air intake tube 9.

The fluid motor and agitator assembly A comprises a motor 12 having an agitator 13 depending vertically therefrom. The motor 12 comprises a relativelyllat base plate 14 having a depending circular flange 15 thereon. A relatively thick motor cover 16 is sealably secured to said base plate 14 by means of screws or bolts 17, said cover 16 having a top portion 18 and downwardly extending side walls 19. The side walls 19 are provided with holes for receiving said bolts 6. One side edge 20 of said motor 12 is curved to lit the contour of the cleaning container C. The motor cover 16 and base plate 14 form a motor chamber 21 which connects with` the air intake tube 9 and exhaust port 11, but which does not connect with the inside of said container C. A rotor 22 having a smooth flat bottom 23 and a plurality of buckets or plates 24 thereon is rotatably mounted in said motor chamber 21. A rotatable shaft 25 is fixed to said rotor 22 and extends downwardly through a hole 26 in the motor base plate 14. Each blade 24 has a fluid impinging surface 27 and a rearward surface 28, said to said parts carrying member, said motor adapted to actuate said agitator for agitating a fluid in said container around parts to be cleaned in said parts carrying member.

4. A cleaning apparatus comprising a leakproof container with a cover adapted to be opened, a parts carrying member positioned within said container and adapted to be removed therefrom, said member having a parts supporting surface with openings therein and a side wall with an opening therein, an air motor mounted on the inner wall of said container, inlet and outlet means in said wall for supplying and directly exhausting air under pressure to and from said motor, an agitator positioned beneath said motor substantially opposite to the opening in the side wall of said parts carrying member, said motor adapted to rotate said agitator for directing a uid in said container around parts to be cleaned n said parts carrying member.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Baer May 25, 1915 Ramsey et al Dec. 19, 1922 Cowles July 7, 1925 Price July 30, 1940 Balisteri et al. Dec. 12, 1944 Bogen Oct. 9, 1951 Butler Aug. 4, 1953 Collins Jan. 19, 1954 FOREIGN PATENTS Switzerland Oct. 16, 1922 

